Cheltenham Festival 2018 Day 1 Tips from our Expert Tipster

Expert Cheltenham Festival 2018 day 1 tips for Champions Day on Tuesday 13th March 2018. Our Cheltenham tipster has picked betting tips from each race on day 1 of the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.

On the first day of the 2015 Festival, Willie Mullins appeared set to claim four of the first five winners until Annie Power fell in the Mares Hurdle. It is possible that he could win the first race this year with Getabird, but which horses are contenders for all seven races? Read our Cheltenham 2018 day 1 tips below to find out.

Cheltenham Festival 2018 Day 1 Tips

Our expert Cheltenham tipster has gone through the card on day 1 of this year’s Cheltenham Festival and picked one bet out for each race. We’ve also looked through all the bookies offers and picked out the best one for you to use on each Cheltenham Festival race for day 1. We’ll be back with similar bets for each of the four days so let’s get things started with some winning Cheltenham betting tips for Tuesday 13th March 2018.

2018 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Tip (1.30pm)

When Kalashnikov won the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month, he was instantly considered as live contender to win the Supreme Novice Hurdle, having won two of his three other races over obstacles this season. However, the Amy Murphy horse was beaten by Summerville Boy at Sandown during January and he has to find at least four lengths with that horse. Summerville Boy is yet to win in two starts at Cheltenham and there is a preference for favourite GETABIRD in this contest. The Willie Mullins gelding is unbeaten over hurdles culminating in an impressive win at Fairyhouse in his last outing where he also displayed the necessary acceleration from the final hurdle.

2018 Arkle Trophy Tip (2.10pm)

Since finishing a fairly busy hurdling campaign and switching to fences, Irish horse Footpad is unbeaten in three outings and has yet to be really tested. In his latest outing at Leopardstown, he beat Petit Mouchoir by five lengths but that was a first outing in more than three months for the runner-up after he earned a winning debut over hurdles earlier in the season. PETIT MOUCHOIR also beat Footpad twice over hurdles last term. Saint Calvados may also pose a threat, but he has yet to feature in a Grade 1 contest so we’re with Petit Mouchoir in our Cheltenham Festival 2018 day 1 tips.

2018 Ultima Handicap Chase Tip (2.50pm)

The first of the big handicaps staged at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival this week is the Ultima with David Pipe and Jonjo O’Neill each winning on three previous occasions. Yet the Nick Williams horse COO STAR SIVOLA appeals on this occasion having recently won easily at Exeter over three miles. He has raced in decent company throughout the season, has won previously at Cheltenham and was raised just seven pounds for that facile Exeter win so he’s the bext of our Cheltenham Festival 2018 day 1 tips.

2018 Champion Hurdle Tip (3.30pm)

Faugheen bids to recapture the Champion Hurdle crown which he won in 2015, and he appeared set for a productive campaign after returning from injury when winning at Punchestown back in November. A poor performance when pulling up at Leopardstown in his next outing suggested that the Willie Mullins horse was no longer the force of previous years. He may have needed the race when second at the same course last month, but Faugheen faces a difficult task in deposing BUVEUR D’AIR. The current champion is unbeaten in three races this term and was probably ridden with Cheltenham in mind when only winning by about two lengths at Sandown last month. The Nicky Henderson horse is the likely winner and is the short priced NAP for the 2018 Cheltenham Festival, he’s a great selection for a Cheltenham accumulator.

2018 OLBG Mares Hurdle Tip (4.10pm)

There have been suggestions that APPLE’S JADE should be featuring in the Champion Hurdle rather than the Mares Hurdle, but she is probably more effective over the extra distance for this race so goes in as another of our Cheltenham Festival day 1 tips. Gordon Elliott’s mare is the defending champion and has been rested since winning two Grade 1 contests back in December. Of her likely opponents, Let’s Dance has won once in her last five outings, Benie Des Dieux has not raced over hurdles since November 2015 and La Bague Au Roi lacks a previous Grade 1 success.

2018 National Hunt Chase Tip (4.50pm)

The longest race at the Festival is the 4m National Hunt chase and last year’s winner Tiger Roll from the Gordon Elliott stable is likely to feature in the Cross Country later in the week. However, Elliott is set to saddle Jury Duty who has never finished outside the top two placings in four graded chases this season, but his stamina limitations may have been exposed when beaten by Moulin A Vent back in January. Of more appeal may be KEEPER HILL who has two twice from four starts this season and impressed in victory over three miles at Doncaster during December. This is the race he is declared in and at 10/1 he’s a great tip for either a win or safer each-way bet.

2018 Close Brothers Novices Handicap Chase Tip (5.30pm)

The second of Tuesday’s handicaps on day 1 of Cheltenham over fences and has tended to be won by smaller stables in recent years, but RATHER BE from the Nicky Henderson stable is worth noting. He has been campaigned in low-profile races this term while winning very easily in two of his three starts, and he appears more than capable of competing in a higher grade. The credentials of top weight Testify from the Donald McCain yard are also worth a second glance. He is unbeaten in three small-runner chases this season and could be a viable each way option.